That squeak of surprise dissolved almost upon genesis into laughter. "I'd forgotten!" she said, only in semblance to him. The dilation of her pupils deepened after the initial surprise. Faint pink touched the tops of her cheeks. "I'd forgotten," she said more steadily, and this time, more toward him than herself. "About how quiet you are." Nothing in her tone suggested displeasure. "Good morning to you, Monsieur Partridge." The formality like a nickname. Plate extended. Smile struggling to tame itself into something reasonable.
She'd totally forgotten what she was going to tell him. The back of her throat felt strange. It was rare when she couldn't immediately find something to say... ah, but it was so, so good to be here again. Every bit of her weariness had disappeared. She felt delirious, joyously disconnected, like she had the sun bottled up inside her chest and it was threatening to break through her skin.
"I have something to tell you," she said at last, knowing that she did -- even if she wasn't remembering it. "But first, tell me if the new arrivals were any good! Did you pick any out, yet?"